Key holder



April 17, 1928. 1,666,776

a. F. COPP KEY HOLDER Filed Feb. 28., 1927 JJW'app amoehtoz,

Patented Apr. 17, 1928..

UNITED. STATES" BENJAMIN F. CCPP, ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO.

KEY HOLDER.

Application-filed February 28,1927- Serial No. 171,617.

This invention relates to a key holder. one of the objects being to provide a simple and inexpensive device of this character wh ch can be readily stamped fromsheetmetal and conveniently carried in the pocket, means being employed whereby keys can be properly housed therein but readily swung therefrom into proper position for use, the housing or body portion of the holder serving to hold an extended key to position where it can be properly inserted into a lock.

A further object is to provide a device of this character which can be used as an advertising novelty, ample space being provided for the reception of an advertisement.

A still further object is to provide a holder in which a key can be easily placed and from which it can be easily detached when desired although, under ordinary conditions, the key is firmly retained against displacement.

With the foregoing and other objectsin view which will appear as the description proeeeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts, and in the details of construction, hereinafter described and claimed, itbeing understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein. disclosed may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying. drawings the preferred'form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the holder, two keys being shown housed therein.

Figure 2 is a section on line 22, Figure 1, the keys being shown in plan.

Figure3 is a section on line 33, Figure 1.

Figure 4 is adetail view of ablank from which the holder is formed.

Referring to the figures bycharacters of reference 1 designates side plates simulating opposed sides of the handle of a penknife, these plates being connected by an integral web 2. The plates are preferably bowed transversely so as to present rounded outer surfaces and the ends are also prefe1= ably curved laterally. This form of the plate has been illustrated in Figures 2 and 3. Studs 4 are secured to the inner side of one of the plates 1 near the ends thereof and the end portions of the other plate 1 are providholder.

ed with depressions 5 into which th'e'free ends of the studs 4 are adapted to project when the blank is bent to proper shape. The outer surface of one of the side plates lhas a groove 6 near its free longitudinal edge while an opening? is formed at a corresponding point in the other side plate 1.

This opening is adapted to receiveatongue '8 provided at one end of a plate 9 constitut-" ing a retaining clip, said tongue being rounded so as to constitute a hinge connec-' tion between the clip and the slde plate. An

other tongue 10 is curved from one side of the plate 9 and is adapted to snap into the groove ,6, therebyto hold the sides of-the de vice against spreading apart.

In practice this device is stamped out of a ingle piece of sheet metal of a resilient nature, the article when stamped being indicated in Figure The side plates 1 are then bent along the dotted lines 11 sothat the sides 1 will be supported substantially par allel with the web 2 constituting the back of the holder. The resiliency. of the device will serve to hold the studs 4 normally pressed into the depressions 5'b'ut it will be apparout, that the members 1 can be. sprung apart if'desired so as to space the studs from the The web 2 does not extend to the recesses. ends-of the sides 1 but terminates inwardly therefrom so as to leave terminal slots 12. After the parts have been shaped and bent as described the clip 9 is applied and will serve not only to prevent the holder from spreading but also to retain keys in the In use the clip tongue 10 is disengaged from the groove 6 and the sides 1 of the holder are sprung apart so as to space the studs 4 from the recesses 5.

cesses 5. Clip 9 is then snapped into place. With the parts thus positioned the free ends of the keys will be extended between the loo web 2 and the plate 9 of the clip so that the keys cannot'be swung out of the holder. The eye portions E of the keys, however, will extend through the slots 12. Thus when it is desired to use one of the keys the clip isfdisengaged from the groove 6 and one of the projecting portions'of the eye E of the key to be usedis pressed into the holder. This Will cause the shank of the key to swing out of the holder Where it can be easily grasped. by holding the members 1 in the hand with the key uppermost, the projected key Will be in proper position for insertion into a look. After the key has been used it can be dropped back into the holder and the clip again snapped into place.

The outer surfaces of the sides 1 can be arranged to receive suitable advertising matter and it will be obvious that, if desired, any finishing material of wood, celluloid or the like can be placed on the outer surfaces of the sides 1.

What is claimed is:

A key holder formed in a single piece of resilient material bent to provide side members and a connecting Web constituting the back of a holder and constituting key retaining means, there being slots beyond the ends of the Web, key engaging means upon one of the side members and normally yielding pressed against the opposed side member, a

clip connected to one of the side members and detachably engaging the other side memher, said clip and Web cooperating to confinenature. 7

BENJAMIN F. COPP. 

